all i need to get by
by popexpaulsen
Summary: A collection of post canon one shots
1. beginnings

_A/N: I've been wanting to do a collection of post canon one shots for a while now, not necessarily in order but all in the same universe. Here's the first installment! Hope you enjoy. Huge thanks to Anna for helping me through this one and to Giulia for her constant emotional support. _

His smile is somehow shy, still. He hasn't had to hide his love for her for a while now, but it remains his first instinct. He still finds himself grappling to tamper down the grin that overtakes his features at the mere mention of her name, before remembering that's not necessary anymore.

Doing press for his new book has been challenging. The early starts, the travelling, the relentless interviewers, it all took its toll, and he was ready to be finished. His final interview on _This Morning with Amber Nielson _has been insightful and enjoyable but he's glad it's almost over. But when Amber brings up the fact that she especially enjoyed reading about his often tumultuous relationship with Olivia Pope, he can't help it. He is a speaker first, his way with words a lot of the reason he is where he is today, and so he doesn't really think about it before he opens his mouth.

"Olivia is… really amazing. This time we've had together since I've left the office, I think, has been so healing for us. We've been through a lot, you know, some of it very publicly but mostly in private and I think it's a testament to our relationship that we've managed to come out the side stronger than ever. I'm just… I'm ridiculously in love with her, and I wake up every morning extremely grateful that I get to spend the rest of my life with my favorite person, and that she loves me, too."

"Woah, I wish my husband spoke about me that way," the interviewer jokes, and the audience laughs along with her.

Fitz smiles along, holding back from telling her she should find someone that does.

.

There is banging coming from the kitchen when he arrives home. Metal on metal, and the faint sound of Olivia cursing, and his first thought is that she must be cooking, but that's ridiculous. Olivia doesn't cook. Olivia doesn't cook for _good reason, _so the noise has to be due to something else. He's proven wrong when he enters the kitchen and Liv is scrambling to clean up the mess of— he thinks it's supposed to be roasted vegetables and lamb— on the floor. He pauses for a moment to take in the scene before announcing his presence.

"Umm, Liv," he begins. "I – what's going on?"

His voice startles her, so caught up in her task that she hadn't heard him come in, and she jumps slightly, clutching her hand to her chest.

"I'm – I _was_ – making dinner," she explains on a huff. "I wanted to make us dinner, and I had the whole evening planned, but now it's _ruined, _and you're home so I don't have time to fix it." The whine in her tone was so unlike her that Fitz couldn't stop the laugh escaping his mouth, the scowl she gives him for it not helping matters.

"It's not _funny,"_ she insists, "I really wanted this to work out."

He closes the distance between them, then, pulling her towards him by the shoulders and pressing his lips to the top of her head. She leans into him, letting him take her weight and that's how he knows she was really serious about this, that something more than a failed attempt at a meal she should have known she couldn't make was getting to her.

"Hey, what's going on?" he murmurs into her hair.

She sighs, tightening her hold on him for a second before pulling back to answer. "I don't really know what got into me," she admits. "I wanted to do something special because of what day it is, and I promise I haven't suddenly forgotten that cooking is the one thing I cannot do, but honestly, how hard can it be to follow a recipe?"

He glances down to the mess of vegetables and burned meat still on the ground, and nudges her playfully with his nose.

"Pretty hard, by the looks of it," he jokes and she giggles despite herself. Playing the conversation over again in his head, an adorably confused expression forms on his face. "Wait, because of what day it is? Is this because of what I said about you in that interview? Because you already know all of that, Livvie, you don't need to thank me."

"I _do _already know all of that, but I wanted to cook because it's our anniversary," she explains.

If he wasn't confused before, he is now, because they don't really have an anniversary. As far as he's concerned, they've been together forever, but she could be talking about their first night together, the night she came to him at the White House, the day they finally started their life together properly… any number of occasions really. She can see him try to do the maths in his head and puts him out of his misery.

"The anniversary of the day we met. We've known each other for _eleven_ years, Mister, that seems worth celebrating to me."

"Eleven years, huh?"

"Mmhmm."

"Sounds like something we should celebrate with takeout and wine and a movie of your choice."

"You're only letting me choose because technology still confuses you, old man, but I'll take it," she grins. "I'll finish cleaning this up, you order for us."

Fitz still gets a kick out of the inevitably hilarious reaction from whoever asks for his name when placing an order, so she usually leaves him in charge of that task.

.

She swirls the wine around in its glass, deep in thought and yet to take a sip. He's noticed that she's not paying any attention to the movie even though _Casablanca_ is her favorite, but he waits her out, knowing she needs time to come to terms with whatever is on her mind herself first, before sharing with him.

It's almost another ten minutes before she speaks up, and what she says knocks the air right out of his chest.

"I think I might be pregnant." It's barely a whisper, so quiet he would've thought he'd heard her wrong if she hadn't clamped a hand over her mouth as soon as the words escaped, squeezing her eyes shut for a second before glancing over to gauge his reaction.

"You think you _what_?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I wanted to… well really, I wanted to tell you over dinner, but clearly that got ruined. But I… Fitz, I think I might be pregnant."

The tears that were already threatening upon her initial statement spill over now, and he takes the wine glass from her hand, setting it on the coffee table in front of them before hauling her into his lap, hugging her close to him.

"I'm scared, Fitz," she tells him before he manages to formulate any of the thousand questions running through his mind. She does that now, lets him in on a feeling almost as soon as she's feeling it. It's how he knows that they're going to make it this time.

"I know. I know you are, but – let's take this one step at a time okay? Have you taken a test?"

He feels her shake her head against his chest.

"Didn't wanna do it without you. Knew you'd want to be there." 

_Oh,_ he loves her so much.

"Okay, well, let's start with that then. You might not even have anything to be scared about.

"Okay," she agrees, "in the morning? I want to just stay here for now, with you."

He brushes a strand of hair behind her ear before rearranging them so they can both see the screen easily.

The movie plays on in the background. Ilsa and Rick are saying goodbye and it hits him in the stomach hard this time, that sometimes soulmates don't end up together. It serves as a painful reminder of all of their missteps in the past, that for a time he thought that would be their story, and squeezes her tighter, thanking whoever is listening that it isn't.

.

It's five thirty and she can't sleep. Waiting until the morning seemed like a great idea last night, but the more she tosses and turns, the more she remembers that she _hates_ the unknown. She's restless and becoming more irritable by the second and he looks annoyingly peaceful beside her. She shouldn't wake him up. He's been doing so much press and he's exhausted, and she _really _shouldn't wake him up but — she pokes his side gently. He doesn't stir. Nudging him again not so gently, she whispers a, "Fitz," and watches as he scrunches his face against the pillow. She waits him out a minute as he comes to and opens his eyes.

"Hi," she says softly.

"Hi. 'Srong? Why'd you wake me?" his slurred speech from being only half awake is adorable but she's just about out of patience, so she grabs his arm in attempt to pull him out of the bed.

"I want to take the test now. Can't wait any longer."

"Woah, wait. Livvie, I don't really think you need me for the first part. Why don't you go to the bathroom, and then you can come back here while we wait for the results?"

"Right. Yes. Okay. I'll go do that."

When he said it, it seemed like the obvious option but she isn't processing this concept as she usually does. If she thought about it for a second, she would realise it's because this is too big, and has the potential to be too scary, so she doesn't want to deal with it until she actually has to, but she _doesn't_ think about it because it's too big and has the potential to be too scary. They haven't been trying. They had barely even spoken about babies beyond hypotheticals, and fantasies and _someday. _If this is someday, she's not sure she's ready. Still, she goes through the motions, reading the instructions on the back of the pack and taking the test before padding back out to the bedroom where Fitz is waiting.

It's the slowest three minutes of her entire life but when the timer on her phone _finally _indicates that it's time, she suddenly can't move. She had been sitting beside Fitz on the bed and she grabs his arm, frozen.

"Wait," she breathes and he looks at her curiously. "One minute?"

His gaze softens at that and he nods, pulling her close so that their sides are pressed together, her head leaning on his shoulder. This minute is different than the previous three. The atmosphere changes, the air in the room somehow becoming clearer as they take the time to sync their breaths, to focus on each other and block out the rest of the world. This time, when the minute ends she feels ready and she gives Fitz a look as she detangles herself from his arms that silently lets him know that she wants him to check the result for her.

She holds her breath and watches with eyes unwavering as he picks up the blue, plastic stick and turns it over. His back is to her but she knows the result before he turns around. She can see it in the way his muscles tense imperceptibly, in the catch of his breath. She's pregnant. They're having a baby. If she needed confirmation, she would have gotten it in his glassy eyes as he turns around. They're having a _baby_. The initial euphoria fades to nothing as she realises that means she's going to be a mother, and she _can't _be a mother. With the exception of Fitz's kids, she has never been around children. She wouldn't know what to do with a baby, and the thought causes her breathing to intensify, her mind spiralling before she gets a chance to stop it. Fitz notices, of course. Even if he wasn't as in tune with her every facial expression, he was actively waiting for her reaction and this was not what he expected.

"Liv," he whispers gently, cradling her cheek with one hand, "hey, what's wrong?"

The worry in his voice is her undoing and she gasps out a sob, her tears overflowing and running down her cheeks.

"I can't be a mom, Fitz," she manages. "I'm too broken. I'll ruin this poor kid before they even have a chance."

"Oh, Livvie," he soothes. "You're not broken. You are the kindest, most generous person I know. And hey, I've helped raise a kid or three, and I'll be with you every step of the way, okay?"

She knew all of this already, she really did, but sometimes she needed to hear the words from his mouth in order to fully believe them. She looks at him properly then, really takes him in, and the happiness he's trying his best to contain makes her heart melt. He really believes they can do this, start a family, and that's enough for her to believe it too, so she nods pressing her lips to his in a chaste kiss, before pulling back to reach for the test, wanting to see it for herself.

Two lines. Pregnant. _Woah._

When she eventually manages to tear her eyes away from it, he's still looking at her. That's not surprising because he's _always _looking at her, even now, eleven years in. His gaze still makes her stomach flutter, too, because it's reserved for her and as cliché as it is, it makes her feel like the most special person in the world. He makes her feel so special.

"We're really here," she says eventually. "We wake up together every morning. We go for walks and we talk about our day. You're my date to dinner parties and weddings and you're the last thing I see every night before I close my eyes. And now we're going to be a _family, _Fitz. This was the dream. It's a lot." She says it lightly but her eyes are watering, truly overcome with emotions as the enormity of the moment settles over her.

"I think it's going to be perfect," he tells her. "More perfect than it already is."

"Me, too."


	2. a townhouse in georgetown

_A/N: I know you probably want to meet the Olitz baby, and I'm so excited to write about that, but I wanted to take it back to immediately post-finale to really set the scene for this fic. Really, truly appreciated the positive response from the first chapter. Hope you enjoy!_

_._

She's surprised to see him, wasn't expecting him to interrupt her walk and it takes her aback a bit.

"This isn't where we said we'd meet." 

"I know, but I saw you when we were driving passed so I asked the guys to pull over," Fitz explains. "You wanna get in?"

She nods, taking his proffered hand and letting him guide her to the door.

"So, what do you want to do?" he asks once they're seated in the car.

"Honestly? I want to have a nap." Her yawn confirms her exhaustion, and he chuckles.

"Your place?"

She nods in confirmation and shifts to rest her head on his shoulder, looping an arm through his as she settles in for the journey.

"Gonna close my eyes now."

"Okay, Livvie."

.

Her bed used to be his solace. The only place in the world he didn't have to put up a front. The only place he could just be Fitz, the man in love with his Livvie. Over the years, however, more and more bad memories became attached to her apartment. That night after Gerry, when he came to find her and she wasn't there comes to mind before he promptly banishes _that _particular memory. It's the place she was taken from when she was kidnapped, and it's the place she escaped to after moving out of the White House. It's a utopia that has been tarnished with reality, rendering it just another apartment. Suddenly, the bed feels too small.

Her head is leaning on his chest, her arm strewn across his stomach and he absentmindedly traces patterns on her back as they rest.

"What are you thinking?" she asks, causing him to pause his movement.

He squeezes her waist slightly, prompting her to look up at him

"Do you wanna buy a house?"

"What?" 

"Here, I mean. In DC. Do you think we should buy a house?"

"I - but we -"

"I know we have Vermont, and we can keep it, but do you think we should buy a house here? For us? I mean, I don't have a permanent base here anymore, and I don't really expect you to move up to Vermont full time, you'd be bored out of your mind. I had been thinking about it anyway, because Teddy is here, you know? But now that we're… well I think it's for good this time -" 

"It is," she interrupts him.

"Okay, good. Now that we're together for good… we should move in together, right? We should buy a house."

"Fitz, I - this is… a lot."

"I know. You don't have to answer me right now. You've made a lot of big decisions lately, I get that. Just think about it, okay?"

She nods silently, settling back into his embrace and closing her eyes. She could drift off again easily, she's so exhausted. Just before sleep takes her, a thought involuntarily escapes her mouth that makes his heart pound in his chest.

"I've always dreamed we would live in Georgetown. A townhouse. Lots of rooms. Kids."

This is it. _Finally._

..

They're having a lazy breakfast in her kitchen and it's _weird_. Neither of them have any plans for the day, and for all the time they've known each other, that's never happened. Unsurprisingly, Olivia didn't have much in the way of breakfast food, but they managed to find some sourdough bread for toast which they're currently eating on her couch, a cup of coffee for Fitz and a green tea for Olivia. A companionable silence has settled between them, and it's so peaceful that Liv is almost loathed to break it, but if they were really going to try this time, she needed to share her thoughts with him.

"I've been thinking."

"Yeah?"

"About… what I want to do now. With my life."

He sets down his plate, realising that this is a serious conversation and would need his full attention.

"Have you come up with anything?"

"I think so," she begins. "I don't want to go back to my old team. I think I've outgrown OPA. Or it's outgrown me, maybe, but either way I think it's best that Quinn runs that business without me. But the time I've spent at the institute… I really enjoyed that Fitz. It was fulfilling, and I had forgotten how good it feels to be fighting for people for all the right reasons. So, if you'll have me, I was wondering if maybe I could come work with you?"

It takes a few moments for the words to sink in but when they eventually do, Fitz is ecstatic.

"If I'll _have _you? Liv are you serious? You are The Olivia Pope. We should be begging you to come work with us. Of _course _I'll have you."

He moves from his spot on the couch to envelope her in his arms then, too excited about the prospect of working with her again to hold it in.

"Well that's good," Liv says softly, "because a wise man once told me that we work better when we're together."

He hugs her tighter for that, remembering the night she is talking about, the dark place she had found herself in and how he was unable to pull her out. She's out now. She got out by herself, like he knew she could deep down, and in hindsight he's grateful it happened that way, because now she knows she has that strength within herself.

.

Olivia's first day of work is one week later. She had tried to take a proper rest but that lasted approximately half a day before she became too restless. She ran more than she had in years, cleared her entire inbox, reorganized her closet, and went shopping for a _new _closet before finally giving in and allowing herself to think about Fitz's suggestion. It made sense, really. If they were going to start a normal life together, her apartment was too small for the two of them, and it was especially too small for Teddy or Karen to ever stay.Once the idea of a house for _them _in the city started to properly form in her mind, every single flaw in her building became more apparent. Memories of wine stained couches became sharper, men who weren't him in her bed involuntarily sticking to the forefront of her brain. On the other hand, she started thinking about what their house would look like. A large airy foyer leading into an open plan kitchen and living area. Maybe she would finally learn to cook. Probably not, but _maybe._ Soft colors and marble countertops and a couch where they would relax together in the evenings when they got home from work. Upstairs, a large master suite with a bed that would be _theirs _and an ensuite where his things would be laid out next to hers and it would make her heart swell every time she looked at it. And other rooms, too… for Fitz's kids and- she stops herself there.

She spent the rest of her week off finding the best estate agent in the city and working with her to find the exact home she had imagined. On Sunday evening, Fitz found her on the couch after arriving home from spending the afternoon with Teddy. The television was on and she was sipping on a glass of red, turning to flash him a brilliant smile as he entered.

"Hi," she grinned at him, reaching up an arm to pull him down to sit. "Good day?"

"Very good day," he affirmed. "What's got you all smiley?"

"I have something to show you," she told him as she leaned forward to grab a large brown envelope from the coffee table. Handing it to him, she encouraged him to open it. Fitz looked at the envelope curiously, and cautiously reached inside, pulling out a piece of paper.

"Liv," he breathed, taking in the beautiful building printed on it, "what is this?"

"It's a townhouse in Georgetown," she said softly. "It's big. Too big, probably. But it'll be ours."

Fitz wasn't often speechless, generally able to find the right words to express himself in any situation, but the only response he was capable off in that moment was to frame her face with both his hands, and show her how much he loved her with his mouth on hers. She melted into the kiss, drawing herself to his body and straddling his lap to be closer to him, before eventually pulling away.

"Do you like it?" she asked, scanning his eyes for any sign of hesitation. "Because it's not a done deal yet, we can keep looking if you want but I-"

"Liv," he cut her off. "I don't even need to see it to know that I love it. It's perfect. It's _our _house."

"It's our house," she repeated, ecstatic, before leaning in to kiss him again.

.

When she walks into the Grant Institute that morning, the most surreal sense of… right settles over her. Fitz is teasing her about the fact that she wouldn't hold his hand, jabbing her side as he walks with her, smirking at her failing attempts to hide a smile. He was right about the fact that they should have been begging to have her work at the Institute, it's below her paygrade, but she doesn't care about the money anymore. She has had an incredible career, has achieved more as White House secretary and Chief of Staff to the President and CEO of her own company than most people could possibly dream of. Now was the time to use her strengths as a force for good, to take advantage of her contacts and her power to help those who can't help themselves, and to do it with Fitz by her side. She couldn't be more excited.

"Okay, Ms. Pope," Fitz jokes as they reach what is now her office, "have a good first day. I'll let you get settled in."

"Thank you, Fitz." she smiles back at him, reaching out to squeeze his hand gently before moving inside the office.

She doesn't need a tour, already acquainted with where everything was, and Lucia, a promising young associate, had a case she needed help with that Olivia had already agreed to take on. Shrugging out of her coat, she takes a minute to sit at her desk and take in her new view.

.

She raps on his door that evening before sauntering over to where he was seated at his desk.

"You ready to go, Mr. President?" she asks, a flirty lilt to her tone.

He reaches out to pull her in by the thighs in lieu of an answer but she swats his hands away.

"I seem to recall you didn't used to mind me feeling you up in the office," he points out, pouting in mock hurt.

"Yeah, well, I didn't used to get to take you home with me either, which do you prefer?" she retorts.

His gaze softens at that and he immediately makes a show of tidying away the documents he was working on, causing her to dissolve into laughter. When he has his things gathered, he offers Olivia his arm, and this time she takes it, happy to end her first day with the love of her life by her side.

"So, how was day one?" he asks as they make their way out.

"It was really productive," Liv replies. "I think we're really onto something with this case. Lucia has a great eye for detail…" She rambles on and his heart squeezes in his chest. He hasn't seen her this animated in possibly years, had almost forgotten she could get like this, but he's so glad the light has found its way back into her soul.

.

Olivia's favorite part of their new home is the window seat in the bedroom. It is the perfect spot to unwind after a busy day, the cushions she has decorated it with making it comfy enough to relax on, and the view of their backyard meditative in itself. Fitz insists he's going to be able to keep it that way but it's their first night in the place and Olivia is already doubtful, half a mind to get the number of a good gardener just in case. She's drawn from her thoughts by his voice behind her, and she turns to him.

"Come downstairs?" he asks. "Miss you all the way up here."

Any other day she would roll her eyes at his neediness, but she wants to be close to him too, so she follows him to the kitchen where he's in the middle of preparing their dinner, propping herself up on the island to watch him work. It should be illegal to look that sexy while making pasta sauce, she thinks, eyes fixated on his forearms as he stirs.

Breaking the silence that had settled between them, she says, "You know, I'm not actually that hungry."

"You're not?" he asks, an eyebrow raised, suspicious of her tone before even meeting her gaze.

"Nope." She bites her lip, hooking a foot around his leg to draw him towards her. "You know, I can't help but notice these counters are a really good height."

He glances down to where their hips are perfectly in line, desperately holding in a laugh as he replies, "Oh, did you?"

"Mmm," she affirms, ghosting her lips against his and nodding. "Almost as if it was planned."

"Almost," he agrees, finally pressing his lips to hers, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss.

"Fitz," she breathes, "I want to christen our kitchen."

"Oh, I'm so glad," he manages between kisses, "because so do I."

_A/N: Please let me know what you think! Also if there is anything in particular you want to see, either in the next chap (planning to make it about Liv's pregnancy) or just in general, let me know and I'll see if I can fit it in! You can leave it here on catch me on twitter popexpaulsen._


	3. athruithe

**A/N: I wanted to just dedicate one chapter to Liv's pregnancy but I had too many ideas and it seems I'm incapable of writing long chapters, so here's part 1 I guess! Hope you enjoy.**

_Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others. - Rosa Parks_

The doorbell rings just as Fitz is finishing up the dinner, so Liv hops off her usual spot on the counter to answer it. Abby stands beaming on the other side, clutching a bottle of Côtes du Rhone which she offers to Liv before even saying hello.

"Well it's good to see you, too, Abby," Olivia laughs,accepting the wine and beckoning her inside.

"Mmm, something smells good," she comments, shrugging out of her jacket and hanging it up in the closet herself as if she owned the place.

"Fitz is cooking. I think it's almost ready."

They were planning on telling Abby their news after dinner but she's not stupid, and Olivia Pope _never _says no to wine, so when they enter the kitchen, Liv makes a point of showing Fitz the bottle, her wide eyes signalling a change of plan is in order. He laughs when he realizes the problem because _of course _their friend would bring alcohol and they should have expected this. Playing their options over in his head, Fitz eventually shrugs his shoulders, tilting his head and asking, "Now?"

"_Now?" _Olivia balks, still wide eyed and suddenly not feeling ready to let anyone else into their bubble.

"Yeah, why not? What difference does it make?"

"Well, I-"

"Umm, excuse me," Abby butts in, "I'm standing right here, anyone wanna fill me in?"

They're both caught off guard, having momentarily forgotten they had company, and there's silence for a moment that seems to last a decade before Olivia blurts out, "I'm pregnant."

She clamps a hand over her mouth almost before the words are even out, as if they escaped without permission.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tell you like that."

Abby's jaw is on the floor and Olivia has one hand resting on her stomach, the other clutching her chest and it's all too much for Fitz, who is unable to hold back his laughter at the situation.

"I'm sorry," Abby finally manages. "You're _what _now?"

Once Olivia finally regains her bearings she reaches behind her, grabs Fitz's arm and brings it round to settle against her waist so she can lean into his side.

"I'm pregnant," she says again, beaming this time. "We're having a baby. And we were planning on telling you after dinner but I knew you'd get suspicious if I wasn't drinking, so here we are." Shrugging her shoulders, she tilts her head up to see Fitz, and finds his smile envies hers, the pride clear in his eyes as he returns her gaze.

Upon realizing that she wasn't hallucinating what Olivia just told her, she immediately makes her way to the pair, enveloping them both in a hug, which they gladly accept.

"I am _so _happy for you both," she tells them. "I want all the details. How far along are you? How did you find out? Do you have any weird cravings yet? Morning sickness?"

Liv giggles at her friend's enthusiasm, guiding her over to the dining room table as she says, "Why don't we sit? Our food is almost ready, we'll tell you everything you want to know over dinner."

As they eat, they answer all of Abby's questions. She's about ten weeks along, no weird cravings, no morning sickness but she's much more tired than normal, that she's the first person they've told. She gets a little emotional at that, Olivia can tell, because she suddenly becomes very focused on her plate, chewing a bite of chicken thoroughly and swallowing hard before she looks up again.

Later, they walk her to the door together, waving her off as she drives away. Fitz closes the front door, and she collapses into his arms, exhausted but happy.

"That was nice," he murmurs, running his hands soothingly up and down her back. "Feels good to tell someone, doesn't it?"

"So good," she agrees, smiling against his chest.

They stay like this for a few minutes, basking the warmth of each other, before Olivia pulls back.

"Take me to bed?" she asks softly.

"You don't need to ask me twice."

.

They're rushing, Fitz grabbing a shower while Olivia rummages around the walk in closet for the one specific shirt she wants to wear. Second trimester has rendered her insatiable, so she had woken him up earlier that morning with a trail of open mouthed kisses down his neck, her hand reaching under the covers until his eyes shot open, and despite his meagre protests about work, and being late, he was always unable to resist her, so they find themselves running late for a 9am meeting. Grabbing the shirt she was looking for, Olivia makes her way to the mirror to adjust the collar before she begins to button it, turning from side to side and glancing at her stomach, a habit she formed since they found out about the baby, and audibly gasping at what she saw. It was barely noticeable, undetectable if she wasn't specifically looking for it, and even still probably undetectable if you weren't her or Fitz but she _is _her so she finds herself running to the ensuite, frantically shedding her clothes as she climbs into the shower.

"Woah, Livvie, again? We're already late," Fitz jokes as he reaches out an arm to steady her as she almost crashes into him.

"No, Fitz, _look," _she implores, shaking her head as she grabs his hand and moves it to her lay against her stomach where a small bump is protruding beneath her bellybutton.

"Oh," he breathes, "Liv, you're showing."

Her eyes fill with tears as she nods, and he pulls her into his arms, raining kisses on her forehead and down her nose as she dissolves into laughter.

They miss the meeting. Neither of them can find it in them to care.

**.**

He's lying between her legs, speaking softly to her stomach and she thinks her heart might just burst. He's telling their baby about Teddy and Karen, how much they're going to love their baby sister, because they found out the gender yesterday and they're having a _girl. _She absentmindedly plays with his curls as he continues his monologue, giggling when he brings up the fact that he's "never going to let Mommy cook for you, baby, so don't worry," and she's suddenly overcome with the realness of it all. Her sharp intake of breath that came with the realization distracts him from his one-sided conversation, and when he looks up, her eyes immediately let him in on her thoughts.

"Hey," he breathes, scooching up so he's closer to her, "what's going on?"

"Nothing, I just…do you think I'll make a good mom?"

"Oh, Livvie," he sighs, "I think you'll make a _great _mom."

That draws a real smile from her, memories of almost the same sentiment leaving her lips years ago, before… everything... springing to mind.

"Yeah?"

"Yes," he insists. "I know you don't see it, but you've got the biggest heart of anyone I know. You're incapable of not taking care of the people you love. Remember how OPA started? You took all those people in, saved them from themselves or their old lives, and gave them a chance to start fresh. You played mother for _years _without even knowing it."

The reminder is meant to be comforting, but she stiffens, more recent memories of how she treated her team having the opposite effect on her, her ever soulful eyes filling with regret.

"I let them down," she whispers, her voice breaking. "I- I abandoned them, I-"

He cuts her off by pressing his lips to hers, effectively silencing her, then pulling away slightly.

"You were in a bad place," he soothes, "and it's not gonna happen again. And you're fixing things with your team, you're getting back to that place, you know this."

A few days after she found out she was pregnant, Olivia brought up the fact that she wanted to talk to someone about her panic attacks. Her voice shook as she told him, the mere thought of confiding in someone other than him terrifying, but she wasn't sure she could handle motherhood without at least attempting to address the damage the past ten years had caused to her mental state. Since then, she had been speaking to her therapist twice weekly, and they were both already starting to see progress. Sometimes, she would come home with puffy eyes and slumped shoulders, making a beeline for his arms, needing him to piece the broken parts of her back together after a session dissected them. Other times, she wanted to decompress alone, seeking him out later once she had enough time to digest. It was tough, and there was so much to unpack, Olivia felt they had barely scratched the surface, but she was getting there.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be better for you, baby," she mumbles, cradling her barely there bump. "You know, now that we know the gender, we should probably start thinking of names," she continues, "I don't like calling her baby. Makes her feel… not real."

He chuckles at that, finding her newfound motherly instincts completely adorable, and reaches out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

"We can talk names," he agrees. "Have you had any ideas?"

Suddenly she's blushing, averting her gaze and desperately trying to tame her smile.

"Hey," he presses, placing a finger under her chin, "tell me."

"I've always thought that if we had a little girl, we'd call her Rosa."

"Always?" It comes out as a whisper, like he can't quite believe she ever contemplated the idea of kids with him, and she shakes her head at him, her smile telling him he's an idiot, but meaning _I love you._

"I think with our genes… our kid could change the world," she says around a laugh then, still unable to tamper down the ridiculous grin that has overtaken her. "So, I think she should have a name that reflects that, the name of someone who's done that."

"Rosa Parks," Fitz offers, needlessly, and she nods. "My mom's name was Elizabeth Rose."

"I know."

"I love Rosa, Livvie. This feels like fate."

"Did we just name our baby?" she asks him, not bothering to attempt to hold back the tears this time, half-heartedly wiping the wetness from her cheeks.

He answers by moving back down the bed again, pushing up her silk cami and pressing a kiss just below her bellybutton.

"Hi, Rosa," he says softly, more love in his voice than she's ever heard, "I'm your daddy, and I love you so much. I can't wait to meet you."

This time, when he looks up, Olivia is sobbing, and his heart stops for a second, but she shakes her head, running a thumb along his cheekbone to assure him she's okay.

"I'm just so, so happy," she explains. "I've never been this happy."

Later, she's drifting off in his arms, taking advantage of her favorite position and draping her body across his while she still can, when he murmurs, "I think she would have really loved you," into the darkness.

She squeezes his arm to let him know that she's listening, that he can continue.

"My mom. She would have loved you. She was a firecracker, she never let anyone cross her. She was way too good for my dad. I think I was the only reason she stayed with him. But, she was my best friend, too. Seeing how much I love you probably would've been enough to earn her approval," he huffs at the thought, "but she would have admired your tenacity, and your intelligence, the way you bring out the best in me."

The breath he exhales as he finishes is watery, so she shifts in his arms, moves up to press a kiss to his lips, lingering for a second as he gathers himself.

"I'm sure I would have loved her too, Fitz," she whispers. "Sounds like Rosa is a lucky girl, getting to be named after two amazing women."

"I love you," he tells her, somehow the perfect response. Always the perfect response.

"Love you, too. Sleep now."

.

The news is playing in the background but neither of them are paying attention, both focused on Liv's belly, determined for Fitz not to miss the next time their baby kicks.

"There, did you feel that one?" she asks, moving his hand further down her bump.

"Ugh, no," he sighs, exasperated, resting his forehead against her shoulder in defeat.

"Just leave it here a minute," she replies, giggling at his theatrics, "she'll kick again, I can tell."

They sit in silence, both slightly tensed in anticipation, until finally Fitz feels a dull thump against the palm of his hand and almost jumps off the couch in excitement.

"Oh, I felt that," he exclaims, "Livvie, our baby can kick."

She nods, teary eyed, always teary eyed these days, damn hormones, as he moves to kneel in front of her, pressing his lips to the spot where he felt the movement moments before.

"Hi Rosa," he whispers. "You're getting so big, huh? Thanks for saying hi to us today, that made mommy and daddy so happy. We love you so much, little girl."

Liv runs her fingers through his curls, used to his adorable conversations with their baby at this stage, but no less affected by them than she was the first time he spoke to her bump. Her eyes are shining when he lifts his gaze to her and it's suddenly all too much for him. He closes his eyes to stop the tears, resting the side of his against his hand that's propped up against the couch cushion as he attempts to control his breathing.

"Hey," Liv breathes, furrowing her brow worriedly, "Fitz, what's wrong? What's going on with you?"

He opens his eyes after a moment, standing up and settling onto the seat beside her and drawing her to him before he speaks.

"I just can't help thinking… for so long I thought you didn't want this. We'd talk about it, but it was really only _me _talking about it and then… that Christmas when you left the White House, I just… well after I found out I thought you never wanted this and I'm just so—"

"Oh, Fitz," Liv sighs, her heart breaking at his admission, "that was...I—"

He pulls her in closer, hearing the break in her voice and cutting her off.

"Liv, we don't have to talk about this."

"No, I want to. We should." She shifts so that she's facing him, resting one arm against the back of the couch, her knee on the seat between them. "That day… that was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But I don't regret it." She takes a steadying breath before continuing, "We were in a really bad place. We broke up and you didn't even _know_ so I think that speaks for itself. I was so overwhelmed with everything, and we weren't communicating at _all _and I really, truly felt like it was my only option at the time. I couldn't handle it, I wasn't even looking after myself. Looking back though, I think… even if we weren't on such rocky ground, it would have been unfair to bring a baby into that world. I mean, the entire world was watching us, scrutinising our _every move_, every glance we shared was ripped apart and analyzed. We wouldn't have stood a chance. So, I don't regret what I did, but I hate that I had to do it."

The silence between them is almost mournful, and it lingers for what feels like minutes before Fitz finally says, "I understand Liv. I really do. I still wish you would have told me."

His words break her, so she drapes her legs across his, enveloping him in her arms as best she can at this awkward angle, wanting to be as close as possible to him.

"I do, too," she mumbles. "I was so scared the whole time, I wanted you there, but I had convinced myself you wouldn't want me to do it, that if I told you I'd give in and keep the baby because it's what you wanted and I _couldn't, _Fitz, I really-"

She breaks off sobbing and he pulls her closer, running a hand through her hair as he softly shushes her.

"Shh, Liv, I know, it's okay. It's all over now, you're okay. We're okay."

She nods against him, letting him know she believes him, that she'll be fine in a minute, so he gives her all the time she needs, settling a hand back on her stomach as he waits for her to be ready. Once her tears subside, she pulls back and looks at him, cradling his face with both hands before leaning in for a chaste kiss.

"I want you to know that I _know _you would have respected my choice, if I had told you. I just really couldn't see it back then."

"I would have," he nods, "but it doesn't matter, we can't change the past. So, we can sit here and wallow in self pity, or we can count our blessings for getting to the place we are now, where we're ready to raise a happy and healthy baby, in a safe environment."

"You always know the right thing to say," she says in wonder.

He chuckles and presses his lips to hers.

"Past president, comes with the job. Now, let's go to bed and celebrate the fact that our baby can kick."

She follows him out of the room, smiling softly, and wondering how it's possible she just fell in love with this man for the thousandth time this evening.

**A/N: I hope everyone is staying safe and doing their best to look after themselves in these strange and scary times!**


	4. you wanna go to vermont?

**A/N: I've had some of this written since March, but most of it was written today! Hope you enjoy. **

"You about finished?"

Fitz looks up to find Olivia standing in the doorway to his office, one hand resting on her bump, the other holding her favourite Prada bag.

"Hi," he smiles back at her, "just give me a few minutes, I need to sign a couple things before we go."

It's not the answer she was looking for and she lets out a disgruntled huff before unceremoniously dropping her bag and settling onto the couch.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Fitz asks, picking up on her bad mood. It wasn't an unusual request. Whenever one of them was finished for the day, they often seeked out the other in their office, waiting there before they headed home together.

"I'm just exhausted," Liv sighs. "Today was really draining and this little one was especially wriggly," she gestures to her stomach. "Just wanna go home."

"Well I'll be quick then."

Liv shifts around a bit in an effort to get comfortable, leaning her head back and closing her eyes until she hears him gather his things, crossing the room to gently place a hand on her shoulder, letting her know he's ready to go.

They're hand in hand, about to reach the main exit of the building when he says, "How would you feel about going to Vermont?"

She stops in her tracks, effectively halting him too. "What?" 

"We could leave in the morning, spend one last long weekend up there before Rosa arrives. I mean, I'm not really needed here tomorrow, are you? We could just relax, get some rest."

Liv looks unconvinced, the thought of packing and travelling not sounding ideal as tired as she is.

"Look," he offers, "how about we sleep on it. If you wake up and decide you just want to stay here that's fine, but just think about it. I think it'll be good for us. I can talk to Secret Service so they're prepared either way."

His thoughtfulness melts her, and she caresses the back of his hand with her thumb, smiling.

"I don't need to think about it. That sounds wonderful."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

She tips her head back slightly, pouting her lips, and he leans down to press his to them in a firm but chaste kiss. When he pulls back, she leans her head on his bicep for a second before they make their way to the car.

.

The Vermont house is the epitome of an extravagant love letter, and although it's tainted with memories of one of her lowest moments, she still feels as though her soul belongs here. He lived here on his own for a while but it's _their _respite, their own personal safe haven. That's why it cut so deep when he took her here to make her see how she'd lost herself, but equally why it's the perfect place to spend their last weekend away without a baby.

"I had Laura stock up the fridge this morning before we arrived," Fitz calls over his shoulder, already making his way to their room with their bags. "I can put something together for lunch now if you want, or we can wait 'til later."

"Baby's hungry," she calls back, "lunch as soon as possible sounds ideal."

She can hear his laugh even as he reaches the top of the stairs, because he shouldn't have bothered asking, food as soon as possible is _always _the right answer these days.

.

She knows it's killing him to be up here and not exploring the land, inspecting the orchards or the progress of the greenhouse, or taking advantage of the air that's just always that bit crisper in Rutland, but she just isn't up for that this weekend, and it's not the same by himself. So instead, he runs them a bath and adds bubbles, prepares a tray of chocolates and strawberries and asks Liv to ensure the temperature is perfect before she settles into the water and he climbs in behind her.

It's heavenly, the hot water soothing her tired muscles, Fitz reaching over to the tray beside them so he can feed her as she rests her head against his shoulder, but the sigh she lets out is slightly watery and he notices.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asks as he leans down to press a kiss against her shoulder.

"I wish my mom stayed dead," Liv whispers, eyes closing against the intensity of the statement.

"What?"

"I was just thinking that… I had happy memories of her… before. I thought my dad was the bad guy - or the only bad guy, I guess. And I'd talk to her, in my mind. I told her all about you, how you tore down my walls, managed to insert yourself into my every thought and feeling, how I fell in love with this amazing man who wasn't mine. And I keep thinking, I wish I could do that now, about the baby. It's silly because it wasn't _real, _I was just… talking to myself. But now I can't do it because my mom isn't dead and she's a terrorist and she doesn't _love me. _So, I wish she stayed dead."

She looks at him then, her lips pouting and her eyes silently pleading with him not to think she's an awful person, and he strokes the back of his hand down her cheek.

"Oh, Livvie, I'm sorry," he breathes.

"It's so silly, I know-"

"It's not silly."

"And I was thinking about how the only grandparent our baby is going to have is my father and-" She trails off as she feels him stiffen slightly behind her. "What is it?"

"I just… I don't know how comfortable I am about your father being around my child, Liv. I know he's important to you, and maybe, at some point, I'll be able to handle it, but I - he _killed_ my son. And he's in your life and I would never ask you to change that but I can't trust him with my children." He takes a breath. "Is that okay with you? For now?"

When she turns her head to face him, her expression is one of pure horror.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I should've brought this up sooner, but I-"

"No," she cuts him off. "Don't apologize. You shouldn't even have to ask me, I should have realized. If you don't want my dad to be in Rosa's life, he won't be in her life. End of story. I won't ever force you to be okay with that. I can't even - Fitz, I can't even _imagine_."

"Thank you," he whispers. "I love you."

"I love you, too. We should get out soon."

"Yeah, in a minute."

.

She's rubbing oil onto her stomach when he enters the bedroom later that evening.

"How are you feeling now?" he asks softly.

"Tired," she sighs. "Always tired. And too hot, and she won't stop moving but equally she won't stop putting so much pressure on my bladder." Once she has all of her complaints out in the air, she looks at him properly, her features softening. "I just want her to be here now. I wanna cuddle her, and I want her to stop kicking my _ribs._"

He can't help but chuckle at that, but he settles down beside her on the bed, drawing her into a sideways hug.

"Not long now," he whispers. "We'll get to meet her soon."

"I know. I was having Braxton Hicks again when you were clearing up downstairs."

"Oh yeah? Was it okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Didn't last long. And nothing compared to what I know is coming. Hey, can you pass me my phone? I wanna show you the rug I found for the nursery."

"We already have a rug for the nursery. We already have _everything _for the nursery."

"Well, I changed my mind," she explains as if he shouldn't be surprised, and he isn't.

"Hey, Fitz," she whispers, later, when the lights are off, and he's almost drifting off to sleep.

"Hhmm?"

"I think this weekend was exactly what I needed. Even if I still can't sleep."

"I'm glad," he manages to mumble before sleep finally manages to catch him, a faint smile tugging on his lips.

.

"Fitz, I need you to come home right now."

"Why? What's happened?"

He's already grabbing his jacket, keys and briefcase, awkwardly trying to balance the cell between his shoulder and ear so he can use both hands. It's three days before her due date but he's pretty sure he knows what's going on before she replies.

"I'm having contractions. They're not close together, but they're consistent so I just really, really… need you here."

"Okay. Okay, I'm leaving now. I'll be there as quickly as I can. Do you want me to stay on the phone? Have you got the timer app running?"

"Yes, please. And yes, the app is running. I don't think we'll need to go in for a few hours yet. I just want you here."

"I'll be there."

She can tell he's running because his breathing is erratic.

"Hey, be careful," she warns him. "The last thing I need right now is for you to fall and break a bone."

"I'm being careful," he laughs. "I'm at the car, I'll be with you in fifteen."

"Okay."

"Where are you? Are you downstairs? Do you have water? Do you have that squeezy ball thing we bought?"

"Can you calm down? Yes, I'm downstairs. I'll have everything I need in fifteen minutes when you get home. Actually I don't think we have anything to eat. Can you pick up lunch on the way?"

"Really? Can't we just order something when I get there?" 

"Fitz, in a couple of hours I'm gonna be pushing your _baby _out, so can you _please _pick me up lunch on the way home?"

"Right, pitstop for lunch it is."

It's almost six hours later before her contractions are close enough together they need to consider going to the hospital. No position is in any way lessening the pain of yet another contraction, and he coaches her to breathe through it but she wishes he'd just _shut up _because he doesn't understand.

"I think we need to go," she breathes as the pain subsides. "These have been close for over an hour now."

"I told the guys to have the car ready to go right at the door," he tells her. "And the hospital bag is right here, so we should move before the next contraction starts."

"Okay," she nods. "Help me walk."

.

"I can't, _oh god, _I can't do it anymore. _Please no,_ I'm too tired."

"Olivia, you're doing so well, she's almost here," the midwife promises.

"She is?"

"Yes, I can see her head. I need you to hold on just a little bit longer, can you do that for me?"

"You hear that, Liv?" Fitz asks, jostling her hand in his a little. "She's almost here."

"Okay," Olivia manages, "okay, I - _oooow"_

He whispers words of reassurance against her temple as she pushes through another searing contraction, telling her that she's a superhero, that he knows she can get through this because she's gotten through worse before and the results are going to be so much better this time. She doesn't process any of it because the pain is too much but the sound of his voice is her favorite thing nonetheless.

The midwife is telling her she's only going to need one more push and that's the only reason she has the mental strength to do it. And then everyone seems to be moving and the pressure is gone, and a baby is being placed on her chest and she's _here._

"Congratulations, Olivia. You have a healthy baby girl."

The newborn squawks on her chest and she thinks she's crying but she's not sure. The only thing she's sure of is she's never loved anything as much as the little bundle she has instinctively wrapped her arms around right now.

"Oh my god, we have a baby. We have a _baby, _hi baby. You're so beautiful, hi Rosa. I'm your mommy, I love you so much. _Fitz, _we have a baby."

In all the years she's known him, she's never seen his smile as it is as he leans down to press his lips to her temple, carefully stroking the back of Rosa's head.

"We do," he murmurs. "I love you both so much. I'm in awe of you, Livvie."

After a few moments she finally realises there are still other people in the room, working on her and carrying out other tasks she's sure are important.

"Do you… need to take her? To weigh her and everything?" she asks the nurse closest to her.

"Well, we do need Dad to cut the umbilical cord. And we'll need to take baby away for a few minutes at some stage, but not just yet if you don't want us to, is that okay?"

"Okay, that's… yeah, good." She shifts her eyes back to the only place they want to be. "I love you. I can't believe you're real. Can you believe she's real, Fitz? She's perfect."

"She is," he agrees. "She's perfect, everything's perfect."

.

Karen is dragged through the door by a very enthusiastic Teddy, doing her utmost to slow him down, and ultimately failing.

"Well, hi there," Liv calls sleepily from the bed.

"Hi, Liv," Teddy replies. "Daddy told me the baby is here."

"Yeah, she is, she's right here. Do you wanna come meet her?"

Teddy looks to Fitz as if for permission and he nods his consent, ruffling the boy's hair. All of his previous confidence has abandoned him and he approaches the bed cautiously, as if he's unsure what he'll find in Olivia's arms. He stands on his tiptoes and still can't quite see so his dad lifts him up and sets him carefully on the edge of the mattress.

"Oh," Teddy breathes in wonder once the baby is in his line of vision. "That's her?"

"That's your baby sister," Fitz confirms from behind him. "Do you like her?"

"Yeah, she's cool," he confirms, shrugging his shoulders.

Karen appears at the other side of the bed, leaning down to carefully hug Liv without disrupting her too much.

"She's so beautiful. Does she have a name?"

Liv looks to Fitz but he gives her a look that tells her he wants her to tell them.

"Her name is Rosa Pope-Grant."

"Woah," Karen breathes, "I'm so glad to meet you baby sister."

"She's happy to meet you, too."

**A/N: Um, so I've never had a baby but that scene had to be written at some stage so cut me some slack please :)**


	5. adequate

_**A/N: This is nothing but a ridiculous amount of fluff, but I'm just so delighted to have written something after so long without being able to!**_

"Why aren't we married?"

"Mmm, because you haven't asked me yet?"

"I've asked you many times."

She smirks. "Not adequately."

"Hhm. Well, I should ask you _adequately_ then."

"You should."

That's the entire conversation, a couple of sentences whispered in the dark as they fall asleep, so fleeting that as weeks pass, Olivia thinks he must have forgotten all about it.

He's barely thought about anything else.

He watches her as she helps Rosa with her shoes and thinks _I need to ask her. _

He half-listens as she explains a concept to one of the teams at work as he thinks _I need to ask her. _

She climbs into bed one night, rubbing her eyes as she clumsily situates herself under the covers and she looks so adorable he thinks _it's insane that this woman isn't my wife._ She leans over to kiss him goodnight and he smiles and tells her he loves her and his heart bursts at the way her eyes light up at that, as if he hasn't been telling her for over a decade.

.

"And do you know what I did then, Daddy?"

"What?"

"I - I hopped down off from the seat and then I landed on the ground and I was on my _knees."_

"Oh, woah, did you get hurt?"

"Nope cause it was carpet!"

"Oh, it was _carpet,_ right. Can you move these strawberries into that bowl for me please?" Fitz passes Rosa the chopping board and she not-so-gracefully transfers the fruit into a serving bowl.

"Um, Daddy?" she asks from her spot on the dining chair he's pulled over to the kitchen island. "When is, um, when is Mommy gonna be here?"

"Not long now," Fitz tells her. "We've gotta finish making this picnic and bring it all outside and then she should be home."

"And my special drawing?"

"Right," he smiles, "we'll bring your special drawing to the picnic too."

Rosa pauses for a minute, as if deep in thought. "I think she's gonna say, '_I love it,'_."

Fitz can't help but laugh at that one, reaching over to squeeze his little girl's waist and kiss her temple. "I bet she will."

.

Olivia arrives home just as they're finished setting up in the back garden (or just as Fitz is finished setting up - Rosa had gotten distracted by the sand table within about thirty seconds).

She hears the patter of tiny feet running towards her before she sees her little girl, and manages to bend down, arms out just in time to scoop Rosa up.

"Well hello my curly girlie, did you miss me?" she asks, laughing at the enthusiastic greeting. Rosa is affectionate by nature, but Olivia had only been gone for a few hours so the running jump was a little unexpected.

"Mommy, me and Daddy made you a surprise!" she replies, instead of answering the question.

"Oh, you did?" she aims the question at her daughter, but throws her eyes to Fitz who had just appeared from the kitchen.

He nods, eyes smiling as he makes his way over to them.

"Hi," he greets, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "How was shopping?"

She jostles Rosa in her arms so that she's perched on one hip and uses her newly freed hand to gesture to the multiple bags she had abandoned on the floor. "I'd have to say it was successful. And needed. And it was good to catch up with Abby. Now, what's this about a surprise?"

"It's outside," Fitz explains. "Why don't you leave those things upstairs and you can meet us out there."

"So _mysterious_ today, you two," Liv jokes, but obliges anyway.

.

The French doors at the back of their kitchen lead to a patio, with steps descending to a vast garden. There are rows of colorful flowers down the entire left side, which Fitz takes great pride in, a swing set and sand table for Rosa, some trees which provide much needed shade during the summer, and right in the middle a picnic blanket set up with everything they could possibly need for lunch al fresco.

Fitz had prepared bread rolls with chicken, watermelon and strawberries, chocolate, and of course a bowl of popcorn. A bucket of ice housed lemonade for Rosa and a bottle of champagne for the adults.

When Olivia sees the set up, she audibly gasps. "You guys, oh my gosh, what's all this for?"

"It's a picnic, Mommy!" Rosa explains.

"I can see that," Liv laughs, glancing to Fitz in hopes of a proper explanation.

"I just thought it would be nice to have lunch outside," he shrugs. "The weather is so perfect today, it's not too hot, and we had fun putting it all together, right Rosa?"

"Yeah, I helped _lots,_" Rosa affirms.

Olivia is still unconvinced, but she accepts the answer for now, settling down on the picnic blanket and surveying the food options. "Woah, I don't even know where to start, maybe with-"

"Chocolate!" Rosa interrupts. It earns a chuckle from both her parents but Olivia chastises her despite how cute it was.

"I think we'll do something healthier first, baby. How about we start with watermelon and then we can eat some bread. Then if you eat all that up you can have some chocolate for a special treat. How does that sound?"

"Ugh, _fine,_" she sighs, reaching out to grab a piece of fruit.

Their lunch is perfect, exactly what Olivia didn't know she needed after a long week. Rosa tells stories that are uneventful and far more drawn out than necessary, the food is somehow more delicious in the fresh air, and the patterns Fitz is absently tracing on her bent knee feel like heaven.

"I'm so full up I think I'm gonna _explode,"_ Rosa says, dramatically laying down on the grass and rubbing her stomach. Olivia dissolves into giggles, forever tickled by her daughter's antics, but Fitz crawls over to her, leaning down to whisper something into her ear. When he pulls away, Rosa shoots up, eyes wide and mischievous.

"Mommy, I drew you a picture."

"You did? Can I see it?" Olivia asks, slightly confused about how a drawing could be part of this surprise they clearly have going on.

"Yup, it's right over here." She awkwardly bends over and pulls the sheet of paper from where it was half-hidden under a corner of the blanket. Once she unfolds it, she holds it proudly out to Olivia and awaits her approval.

"Oh, woah," Liv breathes, beaming. "This is amazing, sweetheart, is this our whole family?"

Rosa is really into coloring at the moment, so although she's no child prodigy artist, Olivia is pretty good at deciphering who her stick figures are meant to be at this stage.

"Yeah, it's everybody," Rosa nods. "There's you and Daddy," she points to the two tallest figures. "And this one is Karen." The oldest Grant girl is distinguishable because she is denoted with two strands of straight hair.

"Is this one you?" Liv asks, pointing to a smaller figure, with bows in her hair.

"Yep, and that's Teddy!"

"Why is Teddy on top of the house?" Olivia asks.

"Um, because he climbed up there."

"He climbed up on the house?"

"Yeah!"

"Oh, I hope he's okay up there."

"Yeah he is okay, he's just being silly."

"Teddy is pretty silly," Olivia agrees.

"Yeah, um… Daddy can I tell her?" Rosa whisper-shouts over to Fitz, who nods as he tries to suppress his laughter.

"Mommy, you can turn it over," she tells Olivia then, taking the drawing from her hands and turning it over herself before handing it back.

Olivia glances at the back of the sheet to see a note in Fitz's neat scrawl. Her head shoots up to look at the man in question before she reads a single word.

"What is this?" she asks, although she's pretty sure she knows the answer.

"So impatient, Livvie," he teases, but his voice is soft with emotion. "Why don't you just read it?"

She takes a steadying breath before turning back to the note.

_My dear Livvie,_

_I love you so much. Sometimes, I wake up and I still can't believe how lucky I am that you're beside me, and that we have this beautiful family. I love everything about you, even the parts I don't like so much, like the way you leave your clothes on the floor in the closet in the morning, or how you still haven't quite learned to always leave work at work. You make me so ridiculously happy. I've loved you forever. I'll love you forever. I can't wait to share the rest of my life with you. _

_Look up now._

When she manages to tear her eyes away from the note, her cheeks are wet and she physically can't stop smiling, and Fitz is on one knee, holding out the most beautiful diamond ring she's ever seen and it knocks the breath right out of her lungs.

"Olivia Pope," he begins, the most gentle way she's ever heard her name. "Will you marry me?"

"Mommy say yes!" Rosa shouts before she can say anything, jumping excitedly and throwing her arms around her mom's shoulders from behind.

"_Yes," _she breathes through tears and laughter, and shock. "_Yes, Fitz."_

And then she's in his arms, their little girl squished between them, and she doesn't know what's happening but she knows she's _never _been as happy as she is in this moment, completely wrapped up in her two favorite people.

After a moment, Fitz pulls back enough that he can kiss her, keeping it appropriate because of the company they have, and then pulls back further so he can slide the ring onto Olivia's finger.

"It's so beautiful," Olivia murmurs once the ring is in place. "I'm so happy."

"You like it?" he asks.

She answers by leaning in to kiss him again, managing to tell him, "I love it," between kisses.

"What do you think, Rosa?" she asks. "Do you like my ring?"

"It's so _sparkly,"_ Rosa replies, nodding.

"Yeah, did you know about all of this, sneaky girl? Did you help Daddy with this plan?"

"Yeah, it was a big surprise and it had to say secret because it was so important!"

"Well, you did such a good job, c'mere," she holds her arms out for a hug, and Rosa buries herself into her mom's arms. "You too, Daddy." Fitz rejoins the group hug, pressing kisses into Liv's hair as he holds her tight.

"So what do you think?" he whispers into her ear. "Was that adequate?"

"Yes," Olivia giggles into his chest, "_More than."_


	6. a visitor

_A/N: A slightly faster update this time! Hope everyone is having a good week!_

.

"This is some set up you've got here, Liv."

He's gesturing to the gates he was just let through, but he barely gets the words out before the breath is knocked out of his chest by the force of her hug.

"What are you _doing _here? The agents told me a man was at the gate saying he was an old friend, but I never expected — Stephen! How did you even… are you back? For good?"

"Woah, slow down," he smiles. "I think it's common courtesy when a friend calls to your house that you invite them inside before bombarding them with questions."

Olivia steps back, as if only now processing their surroundings before nodding, laughing a little at herself. "Right, of course. Come in." She's pulling on his arm as she speaks, almost dragging him to the front door and he can't help but laugh because the excitement is radiating off her and he's _never _seen her this expressive before.

"The baby is sleeping," she tells him as they make their way up the path, "but Fitz is — what?"

"You have a baby," Stephen breathes. "I mean I knew this, I'd heard, but I never really… Olivia Pope with a baby, woah."

"I know," Liv replies, "sometimes I still find it hard to believe myself. But, she's the best thing that has _ever _happened to me. I'm so happy you're going to meet her."

By now they've reached the door and she releases her death grip on his arm to open it, gesturing for him to enter before her.

.

Fitz is in the kitchen, putting the last of the dishes away, when they find him. He turns around when he hears the pair enter, noting the way Olivia's is beaming, and scouring his brain to figure out if he's ever met the man at her side before.

"Fitz, this is Stephen Finch," Olivia says, before he has to ask. "Stephen, Fitz."

"Mr. President, it's an honor to meet you."

"Please, call me Fitz. And truly, I cannot stress enough that the honor is all mine."

They shake hands, and Olivia feels her heart swell, a strange sense of pride building inside her in the fact that two of the most important men in her life are meeting.

"I'm… I've got to say, it's weird to think that you know who I am."

"Are you kidding?" Fitz asks. "You think Olivia has gone all these years without bringing you up? You two have had some pretty crazy times together."

Stephen glances to the woman in question, chuckling a little.

"That we have," he confirms.

"Why don't we go to the living room?" Liv suggests then. "Stephen, can we get you anything? Coffee, a glass of wine?"

"Coffee would be great," Stephen smiles, moving with Olivia towards the living room.

Fitz nods, the agreement that he would make the drinks silent but clear, wanting to give the two friends a moment alone to catch up before he joined in.

.

When they're seated, Olivia wastes no time before she continues her interrogation about why her friend is in DC.

"I'm just _done. _I'm tired. I'm ready to settle down, I think. I mean, who knows, maybe normal isn't so bad after all?"

Liv smiles at their inside joke, thinking that he's absolutely right. Although her life isn't exactly what most would call 'normal', she has a family and a job with normal hours and she lives in a townhouse with a beautiful garden her partner takes great pride in maintaining. It's a far cry from the way she lived the last time she and Stephen had been together, and she is immeasurably happier for it.

"So, you're staying for good? Do you have a solid plan? You could work with us if you want. Do you… where are you even staying?"

He gets the sense that he's going to be getting four questions at once for the entire visit so he doesn't mention it, settling into his seat instead.

"I called Abby before I came home. Told her not to tell anyone, I wanted it to be a surprise. But she said I could stay with her until I got set up properly."

Olivia doesn't say anything, but the look she gives him feels like a warning.

"What?"

"Just… be good to her. She's been through a _lot _and she needs someone - she needs someone like who you really are, not who you like women to think you are."

"Liv, Abby's not just-"

"I _know _that," she interrupts him. "I need you to remember it."

"Okay," he nods. "I will."

Fitz chooses that moment to enter with the drinks, effectively halting the conversation. He hands Stephen a coffee, placing a peach tea on the coffee table for Liv before taking a seat beside her.

"So, Stephen, I'm going to need to hear your version of events for a couple of things Olivia has told me because she seems to be an unreliable witness on some of these occasions."

.

A while later, Olivia rises from her spot in order to wake Rosa up from her nap.

"Hi, baby," Liv giggles as she enters the nursery to find Rosa already awake and sitting up in her crib, babbling quietly to yourself. "You didn't even need me to come wake you, you little rascal. Are you happy up here all by yourself, huh? My little Miss Independent. How come you weren't crying?"

Rosa smiles brilliantly at her mother, reaching her chubby arms up and grabbing the air to communicate she wants out.

"Okay, beautiful, I've got you," Liv murmurs, reaching into the crib to lift her into her arms. She can tell Rosa is wide awake because she doesn't immediately cuddle into her mom's chest, studying the room from this new angle instead. "How long have you been awake, huh? Did you know mommy has a visitor? You think we should go downstairs and meet him?"

.

She can tell a conversation has abruptly stopped as she reenters the room, but introducing her baby to Stephen trumps her curiosity for the moment.

"Hello, boys," Liv says, lifting Rosa's hand to make it look like she's waving.

"Oh, Liv, she's beautiful," Stephen breathes. "She looks so like you, I can't believe it."

"Yeah, she's lucky, she got her mom's genes," Fitz pipes in.

"Do you wanna go say hi?" Olivia asks the girl in her arms.

Rosa scowls at the suggestion, as if she understands exactly what was being asked and it's the worst idea she's ever heard, causing the adults to laugh.

"Maybe we should get her something to eat first, she might be more open to the idea, then. Fitz, will you grab a banana? She can eat it in my lap."

"How old is she now?" Stephen asks as Fitz makes his way to the kitchen in search of some fruit.

"She'll be ten months next week," Olivia sighs, pressing kisses to the top of Rosa's head. "She's getting so _big."_

"Imagine in a couple years you'll think back to now and think about how small she was."

"Shhh, don't say that, she's gonna be a baby forever, isn't that right Rosa?"

.

"What were you guys talking about when I was upstairs?"

Rosa is happily, if messily, munching on her banana, giving Olivia a chance to consider the weird atmosphere from when she entered the room earlier.

"Oh, you know. Guy stuff," Fitz shrugs, sharing a glance with Stephen.

"Hhm, okay." She turns to Rosa, "I don't believe them, baby, do you? No, we don't believe them. I'll make daddy tell me later."

.

Stephen stays for hours, wanting to catch up on _everything _he's missed, which, Olivia informs him, is a tall order. She does her best to catch him up on everyone, how Abby has managed to pull herself back together, how Quinn has managed to pull off running the business and simultaneously being the most badass mom she knows, how Huck is Rosa's favorite person in the world and it melts her heart.

When it's time to say goodbye, Olivia feels hesitant to let him go, as if she doesn't quite believe he's staying for good this time, but he pulls her into a long hug, whispers that he'll see her again really soon, and she believes him.

.

"What was that big speech all about earlier?" Fitz asks. "When Stephen mentioned about staying with Abby?"

It's much later, and they've just settled into bed for the night.

"You were eavesdropping?"

"I just didn't want to interrupt. It seemed important."

Olivia shifts in the bed so they're close, because this feels like a secret that needs to be whispered.

"Abby's been in love with Stephen _forever._ I'm not sure if he was actually blind to it, or if he just wasn't ready to see it, but he... " she pauses, considering the best way to put this. "He convinced himself he was terrified of commitment. He'd meet these women and they'd fall for him because he's so charming, but then he'd run before it got too serious, or he'd string them along and cheat on them and I always thought, maybe the real reason he couldn't commit to anyone was because deep down he knew Abby was always the one."

"You think he loves her too? Do you think he knows it now?"

"I think, back then, he thought he didn't deserve her. And maybe he didn't. But now… it's been a long time, you know? Maybe now is the right time."

"I hope so," Fitz sighs. "She deserves someone that makes her really happy."

"Yeah," Liv agrees, shuffling closer and sinking into his arms, "she really does."

They're quiet for long moments, the kind of comfortable silence that only really happens between two people who know each other so thoroughly that they consider each other home, before Olivia speaks up again.

"What did you guys talk about when I was getting Rosa up?"

"I thanked him," Fitz tells her, "for saving your life. And for getting you home safely. I told him I'd be forever indebted to him. He said you would've done the same for him."

"I would have," Olivia nods, her eyes full with tears.

She would rather if she _never _had to think about the events surrounding her kidnapping ever again, but it comes up, in nightmares or in therapy or when she's in public and something innocuous reminds her, but by this point, she can at least associate Stephen's role in her rescue with feelings of immense gratitude.

"I'm glad we're here," Fitz whispers, holding her tighter and pressing long kisses to the top of her head.

She's not sure if he means _I'm glad you're in my arms _or _I'm glad we made it through that _or _I'm glad we're a family now, _but it doesn't matter. It's all true.

"Me, too."

She turns so she can kiss him properly, on the lips, long and slow. When she pulls back, she cradles his jaw for a moment, smiling contentedly. He narrows his eyes, as if to ask what she's looking at but she simply shakes her head, dropping back down to her spot on his chest.

"Goodnight, mister," she whispers.

"Goodnight, beautiful."

Just before she drifts off she murmurs, "I'm really happy," into the darkness, and he thinks his heart might just burst, because that's all he's ever wanted.

_A/N: As always, I would love if you could leave a review. Hope you enjoyed 3_


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